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Samsung Galaxy J2 Review: Just a pretty face?

Quick VerdictIts bright and colourful display and prolonged battery life make for a clean day-to-day experience.

Strengths

Cheap, uncluttered Samsung experience

Surprisingly sound battery life

Vivid display

Could be better

Locked to the Telstra network

Processor lacks punch

Boost's exclusive Galaxy J2 is an affordable phone for Samsung enthusiasts, but a rather superficial update to the already disappointing J1.

From Ace to Prime to the J series, I've never been a fan of Samsung's cheaper outings and went into this review with a cautious mind. Silently hoping that Samsung could pull off a mid-range handset, but realistically figuring that it was likely to be disappointing. Unfortunately, the J2 didn't do a whole lot to swing that view either way. The J2 is not an unbearable handset, it just does nothing to separate itself in the growing market of quality mid-range handsets and it really is, it seems, for a lack of trying.

Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime from DWI (Digital World International)

Designed to expand your world of entertainment and gaming even further for the ultimate experience. Pick up your new Samsung Galaxy J2 from DWI today.

When it launched at the beginning of the year, 2016's J1 was a disappointment. A $229 handset that would have made for a decent deal had it been released two years earlier. Aside from its premium sheen (the J2 looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S5), the same can be said for the J2, because it's a nearly identical handset to the J1, with its two defining factors being its higher resolution display and its cheaper price tag (thanks to Boost's contribution).

Specs

Samsung J1

Samsung J2

Screen size

4.5"

4.7"

Storage

8GB

8GB

Weight

131g

129g

Processor

Exynos 3475 Quad, Quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A7

Exynos 3475 Quad, Quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A7

Rear camera

5MP

5MP

Front camera

2MP

2MP

Battery

2000mAh

2050mAh

Resolution

480x800

540x900

Display density

245ppi

234ppi

Price

$229.00

$199.00

Upsides: Why you'd want the Samsung Galaxy J2

Cheap, uncluttered Samsung experience: Picking up a cheap, prepaid handset from Optus or Telstra usually comes with lots of unwanted junkware (apps provided by your carrier that can't be removed). Luckily, the J2 is mostly free of this. There is the Boost Mobile app, which isn't a complete waste of your time as a Boost customer as it can be used to check your balance and recharge, but otherwise the J2 comes out of the box looking like any other Samsung handset.

Surprisingly sound battery life: The Samsung Galaxy J2 gains points for its surprising battery life. It lasted a solid 10 hours and 5 minutes when we ran it through Geekbench's battery test.

Handset

Geekbench 3 Battery Test Duration

Geekbench 3 Battery Score

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

11:55:00

7150

Samsung Galaxy J2

10:05:20

2689

Samsung Galaxy S7

10:01:20

6013

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

9:18:00

5580

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+

8:24:10

5041

Apple iPhone 6S Plus

7:48:10

4681

LG G5

7:36:10

4561

Alcatel Go Play

7:21:10

2941

Google Nexus 5X

7:14:20

4062

HTC 10

6:54:30

4145

Samsung Galaxy S6

6:51:30

4115

Google Nexus 6P

6:39:20

3754

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3

5:42:00

2276

Sony Xperia Z5

5:41:30

3414

LG G4

5:27:50

3224

BlackBerry PRIV

5:25:40

3256

Huawei P8 Lite

4:39:40

2768

Apple iPhone SE

4:27:10

2671

Apple iPhone 6s

3:52:10

2321

iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case

7:21:10

4407

Oppo R7s

7:00

2800

Oppo R9

6:41:50

4018

LG Stylus DAB+

8:11:40

3278

Huawei Mate 8

11:14:40

6659

While 10 hours is a respectable score for any handset, it is worth pointing out that its battery score is also comparable to handsets that lasted nowhere near as long. Essentially, Galaxy J2 did roughly the same amount of heavy lifting during the test as other mid-range phones, like the Huawei P8 Lite and the Alcatel One Touch, but managed to last nearly twice as long.

Vivid display: The J2's display is easily the most immediately attractive feature of the handset. Although the 540x960 resolution is fairly standard at that price tag, the eye-popping Super AMOLED is not. Even the Huawei P8 Lite's 720x1080 LCD display looks somewhat dull in comparison, which is more of testament to the inherent edge AMOLED displays have over LCD screens.

Downsides: Why you might not want a Samsung Galaxy J2

Locked to the Telstra network: Considering the Galaxy J2 is sold exclusively through Boost Mobile, this handset is locked to the Telstra network. This is not unusual for a prepaid mobile sold through a telco, but it's worth knowing if you're attached to another carrier. You dohave the option to unlock a prepaid handset from Boost but that comes at a cost.

Processor lacks punch: You would expect a mid-range handset to have some inferior hardware under the hood, but the Galaxy J2's processor takes the bigger hit than we'd like. Out of all the handsets reviewed by finder (including the similarly priced Huawei P8 Lite and Oppo F1), the Galaxy J2 performed the worst in the Geekbench 3's single and multi core tests.

Handset

Geekbench 3 Single Core (higher is better)

Geekbench 3 Multi Core (higher is better)

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

2169

6446

Samsung Galaxy S7

2156

6240

LG G5

2305

5243

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+

1492

4893

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

1324

4626

Google Nexus 6P

1251

4597

Samsung Galaxy S6

1347

4569

Apple iPhone SE

2538

4455

Apple iPhone 6S

2540

4410

Apple iPhone 6S Plus

2491

4391

HTC 10

1942

4191

Sony Xperia Z5

1358

4134

LG G4

1190

3313

Google Nexus 5X

1188

3198

BlackBerry PRIV

1196

3396

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

1111

3686

Oppo R7s

696

2980

Alcatel Go Play

453

1368

Oppo R9

867

3303

Oppo F1

692

3083

Huawei Mate 8

1738

6092

LG Stylus DAB+

470

1418

Samsung Galaxy J2

315

1044

While benchmark tests are decent general indicator of a phone's performance, it's always best to take these numbers with a grain of salt. During our time with the J2, it performed all its basic functions smoothly fresh out of the box. However, it did slow noticeably when the internal memory became clogged with photos and apps. The subpar processor could also have something to do with the enduring battery.

Who is it best suited for? What are my other options?

If you're a Samsung fan maxing your budget out at $200, the Galaxy J2 is not the worst decision you could make. Its bright and colourful display and prolonged battery life make for a clean day-to-day experience. However, it seems Samsung are relying on brand recognition to sell this one because there just isn't enough to make it the preferential choice over similar priced handsets. There are handsets that blow the J2 out of the water for less than $100 more and even if you are on the Telstra network, you can pick up the more impressive HTC 610 for the exact same price as the J2.

As the benchmark test and specs above prove, the Galaxy J2 simply doesn't compare to other mid-tier handsets. While the $199 price tag is desirable for a smartphone with decent battery life, it's hard to ignore the fact that an extra $100 can get you 13MP camera, a much better processor and a HD screen.

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4 Responses

BridgetAugust 10, 2016

Have just been given a Samsung J2 without a SIM card. Am a current Telstra customer but SIM card from old mobile will not fit into J2. Can I purchase just a SIM card from Telstra for my new phone, as I would like to keep my current phone number.

Yes you may purchase a new Micro sim from Telstra and have them activated to fit your new phone. When activating your new sim card they will be asking some information about you as well as the new sim card number. Once the activation is completed you are all set to use your new handset.

I have a Galaxy SII4G and looking at a J2 but unsure about the sim.
Can I purchase a boost phone and use my current Telstra account with the micro sim attached to the phone I purchase, retaining my number, My phone is self owned and not linked to my current plan

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